Seven Deadly Eons: Origins of Evil
by Sahxyel
Summary: In the Kingdom of the Southern Ashes, two Houndour were born. One had the makings of a great leader. The other became the infamous tyrant known to all as King Ci Natas.


_**Seven Deadly Eons: Origins of Evil**_

_**Chapter One: The Brothers Grim**_

Pacing anxiously, Queen Eclipse of the Kingdom of Southern Ashes gazed fretfully at a small metal basket in the middle of her royal bedroom, a red pillow within it cushioning two oval eggs, black in coloration with red and silver markings along the smooth outer shells. The eggs wobbled noticeably, the life inside of the eggs fighting and moving to break free from their shelled prisons. Unfortunately, much to Queen Eclipse's despair, the eggs had been moving for days now, with no sign of the hatching to take place.

Padding up to the basket for what felt like the millionth time, Eclipse gently turned the eggs over with her snout to keep them evenly warm. The pillow underneath keeping warm from the heated basket that surrounded it, the warmth spread through the eggs easily and the shaking continued. With a weary sigh, Eclipse backed away from the basket, her tail swishing in anxiety. "My children…please, come out…"

The eggs continued to wobble, unheeding their mother's wishes. With a soft sigh, Eclipse retired to a large red pillow sitting on the stone floor not too far away and settled down, keeping a careful eye on the eggs. They continued to wobble.

Across the lavishly decorated room, a large wooden door opened, allowing someone inside. Who it was, Eclipse could barely see in the dimness in the room. Wary and distrustful, especially with her children so close to hatching, Eclipse felt the fur on the back of her neck rise. Her muscles tensed as a large form stepped inside, with a smaller form following it.

"Queen Eclipse, art thou holding strong?"

The Houndoom relaxed at the sound of the voice, the hackles of her black fur lying down. "Oh, hello Domica. Yes, I am."

Domica came into a brighter portion of the room, green scales and large diamond wings flapping slightly. A silver medallion hung on a leather strap around the dragon's neck, featuring the feminine dragon goddess Latias holding a crown and a shield in a defensive posture.

The Flygon had a slight smile on her face; "Thou art tense." She noted. "Methinks thou needs a little rest-"

"No! I don't want to miss it!" Eclipse yelped, her head shooting up as if a Beedrill had just stung her. Realizing her reaction was a tad desperate; Eclipse felt her face grow hot and bowed her head. "I'm sorry for that outburst, I am just so _exhausted_ Domica…I wish Ci was here to see this."

"Aye, but thine King art away at war." Domica nodded. "He will return in the morrow, Queen Eclipse."

"I hope so." Eclipse muttered, lying her head down on the pillow tiredly. She gazed at a large portrait hung on a wall nearby, featuring a tall and powerful Pokemon wearing a small golden crown, his frame towering over her own in the painting. A cocky smirk, revealing a small fang, showed from the King's face with a blaze of fire flaring out from behind his neck. His sharp eyes had a spark of amusement, due to how he believed that posing for a painting was 'ridiculous'. "Oh Ci…"

"When will the heirs hatch, mother?" A new voice asked, causing Eclipse to turn her head so fast that she swore her neck cracked slightly. A small brown ant-like Pokemon peered at the eggs in curiosity. The Trapinch seemed fascinated by the eggs.

"Soon Da-Xia. Thou shallt be their Draconic Defender, as I am to King Ci and Queen Eclipse." Domica said softly, gently pulling her away from the basket of eggs. "Come. We must maketh haste to dinner. Does thou require any nourishment, my Queen?"

Eclipse opened her mouth to reject the offer, but stopped herself at the nonplussed expression Domica fixed her. Clearly, the Flygon knew her more than she preferred. Folding her ears back, Eclipse nodded once. "Yes. I'm famished."

Appearing satisfied, Domica walked out of the room, her brood following her closely out. With a creak, the wooden door shut, leaving Eclipse yet again alone with the eggs. A quick survey told her that the eggs still were moving but had not cracked yet. Sighing again, Eclipse trotted restlessly around the large and lavish room, past a large bed covered with fine red and black fabrics, to the balcony doors where she could peer outside at the kingdom below.

The Castle of King Ci and the Royal Family of the Southern Ashes sat loftily on the highest mountain of the Sable Mountains, overlooking a vast desert appropriately called 'The Scorched Wastes' As Eclipse's eyes wandered to neighboring mountains, dark forests with towering trees met her, some trees being nearly as large as a Wailord placed tail up. Small flickers of lights dotted the mountainsides of the Sables, and even out in the Scorched Wastes Eclipse could make out pinpricks of light here or there. Above, a clear sky dotted with marvelous stars and a large moon met Eclipse's eyes and for a moment her breath caught at the majesty of the never-ending space.

It certainly wasn't the prettiest kingdom compared to the large Kingdom of Superbia to the north, but it was still a kingdom. A kingdom that one day her child would rule over.

Turning away from the balcony, Eclipse returned to the eggs and glance them over. The tops already began to feel cool to the touch of her paw, and for measure, she turned one over, and then the other. To make sure the metallic basket was doing its job; she gently blew small embers onto the metal to get it hot again-

_CRACK._

Eclipse froze, her heart nearly freezing in her chest. She quickly scanned the eggs and spied a tiny crack on the side of the left egg, the crack slowly snaking down the side of the shell. Excitement bubbled up within Eclipse as a joyous grin spread on her face. "Yes! Come on, my darling, come out…" So tempted to help the tiny Pokemon out of the egg, Eclipse stubbornly shook her head to stop herself from doing so. A baby Pokemon must emerge from the egg on their own, no matter what.

But what then? Eclipse danced anxiously of the tips of her paws, looking to the eggs and then to the door. The second one also began to crack and she gasped, quickly racing for the chamber door and yanking it open violently. "THEY'RE HATCHING!" She screamed giddily, poking her head out from the room. Her tail wagged behind her incredibly fast, just a blur of black.

The hulking armored figure of a Donphan standing outside stared at her with a stupefied expression, originally guarding the door for her. A shaggy wolf-like Mightyena also stared at her incredulously. "My Queen…?"

"GO TELL EVERYONE NOW PORO! YOU TOO BOOT!" Eclipse shouted; this time a bit more annoyed. She usually didn't yell, but this was very important and time was running down. "Hurry, please!"

With a yelp, the two Pokemon dashed off in different directions, Boot off in a flurry of fur and Poro in a flat Rollout, both barreling down the hall until they were out of sight. Nodding to herself, Eclipse quickly slipped back into the room and bounded across the floor, back at the basket holding the eggs almost immediately. Inside, both eggs were riddled with cracks as they shook violently. With a sudden 'pop' a piece of shell flew off the first egg, revealing a tiny black snout and red muzzle.

"Hou!" The tiny thing yipped, pushing its nose out of the opening, snuffling the fresh air. More of the shell fell away from the emerging nose as a tiny head poked out, squinting around curiously. The skull-like crest on its head gleamed as it squirmed out, forcing the shell to crumble around it. Soon, a tiny Houndour pup sat on the cushion, fragments of shell all around it. Gazing up at a beaming Eclipse, the small pup let out a tiny yip.

"Oh…my sweet little baby…" Eclipse cooed, nuzzling her child happily. A quick check told her that her first child was a male, something only mother Houndooms could tell even if other Pokemon couldn't. The tiny Houndour yipped happily, licking her cheek with a tiny pink tongue. Giggling, Eclipse pulled her head away to look to the second egg, watching anxiously as well. No punctures were in the shell yet, only long thin cracks-

With a sudden shake, a tiny sharp _thing_ pierced directly through the hardest portion of the shell, cracking it to pieces. As the egg shattered, a flailing little Houndour rolled over from its back and sat on the cushion, looking about the area with keen eyes. Eclipse stared, at first baffled. Even though it was just a baby, it seemed to be very coherent about where it was. Added, tiny horns stuck out from the back of its head already, something that Eclipse had never seen before.

The tiny pup stared up at her, eyes holding a faint sense of curiosity. Offering a tiny smile to the tiny Houndour, she gently nuzzled it too and checked its gender. Again, a male. Nuzzling him once more, Eclipse sighed in relief and pulled away, looking back and forth at her two sons with definitive love.

"Queen Eclipse!" The door behind Eclipse burst open as several Pokemon rushed inside, looking either worn out or excited. At the head of the mob was Domica, her eyes wide in anticipation. "Didst they-?"

"Yes, the princes have hatched." Eclipse nodded, padding around the basket for everyone to see. The two Houndour stared, boggle-eyed, at the large Pokemon that had suddenly invaded the room. Voices flitted around the room at varying levels of sound, most of which neither of the Houndours understood nor cared about. Agitated from the noise, the first born started to yip. The second remained quiet, his eyes roaming over the new faces.

"What are you going to name them, Queen Eclipse?" A Manetric asked curiously, finally breaking through the noise and silencing the others. "Have you already decided their names?"

The Queen gazed down at her children, and smiled a little. "King Ci and I have discussed names for the first son." Gently nudging the first pup forward, she murmured. "After King Ci's grandfather, he will be named Nasen. If he should become King, his title will change to King Nasen the II." Looking to the second pup, she gently nudged him forward as well. "My second son shall be named both after his father, who could not be here today, and my own grandfather. Ci Natas shall be his name."

Murmurs of approval broke out at the naming, some even nodding. Eclipse heard mostly compliments on Ci Natas' name, which had a very unique sort of ring to it. Eclipse listened for a good while until she emitted a very large yawn, causing the others to notice.

"Looks like the Queen needs rest. All you lot, let's get out of here and give her some peace." Poro declared, already starting to herd everyone to the door. Dejectedly, the others slowly left, with Domica and Da-Xia being the last to leave.

As soon as the doors shut, Eclipse gently removed her children from the hatching basket, taking them instead to a small bed nearby and placing them down. Nasen immediately curled up into a small ball of black fur, but Ci Natas continued to gaze up at her with an unreadable expression. Eclipse stared back; feeling slightly unsettled, but shrugged it off as being tired. Gently, she nuzzled the side of his head, and then nuzzled Nasen as well. "Good night, my darlings."

Ci Natas remained silent, but laid down and curled into a ball as well. With a tired sigh, Eclipse trotted over to her bed and climbed onto it after three days of nothing but a hard floor and a pillow. She collapsed onto the soft bed and released a long sigh of comfort and curled up. Her mind already began to drift into the realm of dreams, and she could feel her consciousness pulling farther and farther away…

Eclipse relaxed completely, her mind sailing for the realms that Cresselia and Darkrai dominated; the land of dreams.

--- --- --- --- ---

She heard screaming. All around Eclipse, she could see countless Pokemon crying out in agony as fire engulfed them, as ice pierced their hearts, as electricity coursed through their bodies until they moved no more. Images flared violently in front of her, there one moment and gone the next in a wisp of acrid smelling smoke. She heard pleas for mercy, crying children, angry yelling…

Jolting forward, Queen Eclipse awoke; her eyes wide as a cold feeling washed over her. She trembled for a moment, and then relaxed. "Just…just a dream?"

"Hou!!" A yelp came through the air, muffled, but sounding terrified. Immediately, Eclipse's ears bolted up as she leapt out of bed, quickly running over to the bed where her children were.

Inside, Ci Natas was curled up and sleeping, but a ball of fur was directly underneath him, squirming frantically under the weight of the other Houndour. A yelp came yet again. "Hou!!"

Gasping, Eclipse quickly scooted Ci Natas off his brother, whose head was apparently stuck underneath the heavy little pup. As soon as he was exposed to the air, the small Houndour gasped for air and began to whimper, eyes filling with tears. "Hou…"

"Shh…" Placing Nasen on her bed, Eclipse glanced back at Ci Natas to check on him. What she saw sent a shiver down her spine.

The young Houndour, asleep one moment, was sitting up in the bed, his eyes narrowed poisonously. He first stared at her with this expression, then at the tiny Houndour that sat on Eclipse's bed whimpering. What was in his eyes were purely terrifying, Eclipse had never seen anything so terrible as a baby Houndour glaring at his mother and brother as if they had done something wrong that would anger him.

With a gulp, Eclipse knew what she had to do to prevent anything like that again. The Siblicide Spell specifically reserved to keep siblings from murdering the other. Murmuring the spell she hoped never to use, a golden aura surrounded her, as well as her two sons. As soon as she finished reciting, the auras vanished leaving no mark whatsoever. It wouldn't hurt them, but it would prevent either from either purposefully or accidentally killing the other. Picking Nasen back up, Eclipse turned away from the bed that now was just Ci Natas'.

As Eclipse returned to bed with her first-born son, Ci Natas growled, making the first noise he ever made in his life. Eclipse glanced back at her other son and returned to the crib, at first afraid, but shook the emotion from her heart. This was her son; to be afraid of him was foolishness. Perhaps he was just grumpy from hatching, since it was a physically exhausting activity. Gently, she nuzzled him again.

"I love you Ci Natas. Please, calm down and get some rest, darling…" She spoke soothingly, the same sort of voice she would use for King Ci when he was angry.

The small Houndour scowled and laid back down, curling into a ball. Smiling tiredly, Eclipse returned to bed and found Nasen asleep as well. Nuzzling him, she curled around him and fell asleep once more, hoping that dream she had prior would not return.

--- --- --- ---

**Sahxyel:** Surprise! My first Pokemon fic, which will be a sidestory to Lolli-S and her story Seven Deadly Eons. Review if you liked it, or if you have some concrit to offer. Thank you!


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